Slipping Away From Us
Author: tryslora
Title: Slipping Away From Us
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Derek/Jackson
Character/s: Derek, Jackson
Summary: Jackson has started classes at college, and Derek has a feeling that his “study sessions” are more than Jackson is telling him.
Warnings: past mpreg, jealous!Derek, worries about infidelity
Word Count: 1041
Prompt: #26 - Hiding
Author's Notes: Hiding was the perfect prompt to fulfill this request. This is a part of the series And Omega Makes Family. As always, I do not own the characters or world of Teen Wolf, but I love to play with them.
It’s the third time Jackson’s been late picking Toby up from his mom’s this week, and the second time that she has called Derek to come get their son because she needs to go out before Jackson arrives. Derek apologizes to her and promises that he’ll stop by on Thursday, and he’s sorry that Jackson forgot to tell her about his study group.
The thing is, Jackson forgot to tell Derek about his study group.
Derek tries not to think about it when he’s alone in their home, Toby perched on one hip while Derek makes dinner. The boy is old enough to be reaching for things, trying to grab the spoon as Derek stirs, making noises and bubbles, chattering constantly with a stream of nonsense. But as soon as the front door opens, Toby twists in Derek’s arms, almost unsettling himself until Derek drops the spoon to catch his son as he reaches out for the door and starts yelling incoherent noises.
“Hey.” Jackson scoops Toby out of Derek’s arms and brings him up, kissing his cheeks before making him fly through the air for a moment. “Have you had dinner or is dad too busy cooking for the adults to feed you?”
“It’d be easier if you’d picked him up on time.” Derek’s voice has a soft growl of warning in it. Seeing Jackson so calm-so at ease-is like a punch in the gut.
Going back to school seems to be the best thing for Jackson.
Derek just wonders if it’s the worst thing for them as a family.
“I meant to,” Jackson says. “But we got involved in a discussion about the homework and I didn’t realize how late it was. When I got to mom’s and she wasn’t there, I figured you’d picked him up.” He tucks Toby into the high chair and gives him a spoon to bang on the tray with.
“I’m sorry.” Jackson slides in behind Derek, arms around his waist, mouth pressing a kiss to his shoulder. “This is taking more time than I thought it would. I’m out of practice being a student. And I was never a good student. I’m not Lydia. I can’t ace these classes without working my ass off for them.”
“It’s fine, Jackson.” But it’s not fine, not in Derek’s mind. It isn’t the study sessions. It isn’t Jackson having new friends. Derek wants Jackson to have the life he would’ve had if being Derek’s mate hadn’t stolen it away. He wants Jackson to be happy. It just feels like Jackson is completely slipping away and leaving Derek behind rapidly. “You just need to let me know what’s going on. You can’t just disappear like that.”
“I’m not disappearing.” Jackson draws away, giving him a dark look. “This isn’t like when I went into heat and took off. I know that hurt you, but don’t you get it? I’m not running away. I’m just hanging out with my classmates and trying to get my work done, because I know when I get home I’m not going to. Not with you and Toby to distract me.”
“I’m a distraction?” Derek doesn’t like the sound of that, like he’s something tacked onto Jackson’s life, interfering with it.
“Yes, you are.” Jackson walks away, bending to pick up the spoon Toby tossed on the floor, handing it back to the boy so he can start cheerily banging again. “What do you think I’m doing, that’s got you so worried?”
If it weren’t for Toby being awake, and all of them being hungry, Derek would silence Jackson with a kiss. He’d remind him that they are mates and that Derek wants him. Needs him.
Instead he gestures at the table. “Why don’t you get out plates. It’s late, but we still need to eat.”
“I had a burger at-” Jackson stops speaking and yanks open a cabinet. “You know what, never mind. I’m sure I could eat again.”
It’s the little details, like the way Jackson won’t say everything, that get to Derek. He wants to figure out what Jackson’s hiding in the cracks between the tiny slivers of truth.
#
Derek stops by campus on Thursday, just to see how Jackson’s doing. Toby is safe with Jackson’s mom, and Derek is fairly sure Jackson has a couple of free hours in his schedule. He swings through the library, just in case Jackson’s been telling the truth about getting a study room.
It’s true.
The rooms are in each corner of each floor of the library, and Derek finds him in the one in the east corner of the fifth floor. The rooms are pure glass walls, designed to let groups study in view of the other patrons, so the rooms couldn’t be used for anything else. But it hasn’t stopped Jackson from sitting close to his study partner as they work.
Derek can’t miss the way the two heads lean close together, fingertips touching on the table, knees touching beneath it. The guy’s foot slides and presses against Jackson’s; he looks up and says something, and they both laugh.
This isn’t the Jackson who has lived with Derek for more than a year. This isn’t even the Jackson who was a complete ass in high school. This is a Jackson who is finally at ease with himself, and having fun.
Derek stands there and watches as long as he can manage. There is some small part of him that is jealous over the normalcy of the act, the way the two young men interact. He curls his hands into tight fists; he can’t go in there and drag Jackson out-he’s not that much of an asshole-no matter how much the wolf is urging him to stake his claim. So he just stands there and watches, at war with himself, because he knows this is what he wants for Jackson. He wants his mate to be happy.
He leaves, eventually, and picks up Toby on his way home. He needs to be in the place that is filled with their scent, the place that they share.
Someday Jackson will have to stop hiding. And someday Derek will need to be ready to hear the truth.
But not today.
Title: Slipping Away From Us
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Derek/Jackson
Character/s: Derek, Jackson
Summary: Jackson has started classes at college, and Derek has a feeling that his “study sessions” are more than Jackson is telling him.
Warnings: past mpreg, jealous!Derek, worries about infidelity
Word Count: 1041
Prompt: #26 - Hiding
Author's Notes: Hiding was the perfect prompt to fulfill this request. This is a part of the series And Omega Makes Family. As always, I do not own the characters or world of Teen Wolf, but I love to play with them.
It’s the third time Jackson’s been late picking Toby up from his mom’s this week, and the second time that she has called Derek to come get their son because she needs to go out before Jackson arrives. Derek apologizes to her and promises that he’ll stop by on Thursday, and he’s sorry that Jackson forgot to tell her about his study group.
The thing is, Jackson forgot to tell Derek about his study group.
Derek tries not to think about it when he’s alone in their home, Toby perched on one hip while Derek makes dinner. The boy is old enough to be reaching for things, trying to grab the spoon as Derek stirs, making noises and bubbles, chattering constantly with a stream of nonsense. But as soon as the front door opens, Toby twists in Derek’s arms, almost unsettling himself until Derek drops the spoon to catch his son as he reaches out for the door and starts yelling incoherent noises.
“Hey.” Jackson scoops Toby out of Derek’s arms and brings him up, kissing his cheeks before making him fly through the air for a moment. “Have you had dinner or is dad too busy cooking for the adults to feed you?”
“It’d be easier if you’d picked him up on time.” Derek’s voice has a soft growl of warning in it. Seeing Jackson so calm-so at ease-is like a punch in the gut.
Going back to school seems to be the best thing for Jackson.
Derek just wonders if it’s the worst thing for them as a family.
“I meant to,” Jackson says. “But we got involved in a discussion about the homework and I didn’t realize how late it was. When I got to mom’s and she wasn’t there, I figured you’d picked him up.” He tucks Toby into the high chair and gives him a spoon to bang on the tray with.
“I’m sorry.” Jackson slides in behind Derek, arms around his waist, mouth pressing a kiss to his shoulder. “This is taking more time than I thought it would. I’m out of practice being a student. And I was never a good student. I’m not Lydia. I can’t ace these classes without working my ass off for them.”
“It’s fine, Jackson.” But it’s not fine, not in Derek’s mind. It isn’t the study sessions. It isn’t Jackson having new friends. Derek wants Jackson to have the life he would’ve had if being Derek’s mate hadn’t stolen it away. He wants Jackson to be happy. It just feels like Jackson is completely slipping away and leaving Derek behind rapidly. “You just need to let me know what’s going on. You can’t just disappear like that.”
“I’m not disappearing.” Jackson draws away, giving him a dark look. “This isn’t like when I went into heat and took off. I know that hurt you, but don’t you get it? I’m not running away. I’m just hanging out with my classmates and trying to get my work done, because I know when I get home I’m not going to. Not with you and Toby to distract me.”
“I’m a distraction?” Derek doesn’t like the sound of that, like he’s something tacked onto Jackson’s life, interfering with it.
“Yes, you are.” Jackson walks away, bending to pick up the spoon Toby tossed on the floor, handing it back to the boy so he can start cheerily banging again. “What do you think I’m doing, that’s got you so worried?”
If it weren’t for Toby being awake, and all of them being hungry, Derek would silence Jackson with a kiss. He’d remind him that they are mates and that Derek wants him. Needs him.
Instead he gestures at the table. “Why don’t you get out plates. It’s late, but we still need to eat.”
“I had a burger at-” Jackson stops speaking and yanks open a cabinet. “You know what, never mind. I’m sure I could eat again.”
It’s the little details, like the way Jackson won’t say everything, that get to Derek. He wants to figure out what Jackson’s hiding in the cracks between the tiny slivers of truth.
#
Derek stops by campus on Thursday, just to see how Jackson’s doing. Toby is safe with Jackson’s mom, and Derek is fairly sure Jackson has a couple of free hours in his schedule. He swings through the library, just in case Jackson’s been telling the truth about getting a study room.
It’s true.
The rooms are in each corner of each floor of the library, and Derek finds him in the one in the east corner of the fifth floor. The rooms are pure glass walls, designed to let groups study in view of the other patrons, so the rooms couldn’t be used for anything else. But it hasn’t stopped Jackson from sitting close to his study partner as they work.
Derek can’t miss the way the two heads lean close together, fingertips touching on the table, knees touching beneath it. The guy’s foot slides and presses against Jackson’s; he looks up and says something, and they both laugh.
This isn’t the Jackson who has lived with Derek for more than a year. This isn’t even the Jackson who was a complete ass in high school. This is a Jackson who is finally at ease with himself, and having fun.
Derek stands there and watches as long as he can manage. There is some small part of him that is jealous over the normalcy of the act, the way the two young men interact. He curls his hands into tight fists; he can’t go in there and drag Jackson out-he’s not that much of an asshole-no matter how much the wolf is urging him to stake his claim. So he just stands there and watches, at war with himself, because he knows this is what he wants for Jackson. He wants his mate to be happy.
He leaves, eventually, and picks up Toby on his way home. He needs to be in the place that is filled with their scent, the place that they share.
Someday Jackson will have to stop hiding. And someday Derek will need to be ready to hear the truth.
But not today.